This application is based on and claims the priority under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7119 of German Patent Application 100 56 994.3 filed on Nov. 17, 2000, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The invention concerns a method and an arrangement for controlling the closing and opening operation of a passenger door of an aircraft, comprising a control mechanism with at least one control unit for the actuators for moving the door and for moving the closing and opening means, the door being arranged movably on a support arm and the support arm being pivoted around an axis fixed to the aircraft fuselage.
According to German Patent DE 197 02 084 C1 a passenger door of an aircraft is movable from an open position to a closed position. From the closed position the door is brought into a latching state whereby the door is latched in the fuselage structure by means of a latching mechanism. More recent developments go further toward a locking of the latching mechanism. The kinematics of the door can only be activated by mechanical means (e.g. hand levers).
European Patent EP 0 465 785 B1 describes the state of the art for moving an aircraft door by means of electric motors as actuators. It concerns a passenger door which is swivellable around an axis fixed to the fuselage by means of a support arm. The known solution has the objective of making possible an automatic actuation of the door wherein the required movements must be able to be carried out precisely, and mechanically effective elements such as bearings, shafts and levers are to be largely omitted. According to the known solution, all the motions of the door can be carried out by means of electric motors. The motors are controlled with the aid of suitable stored programs which coordinate the different functions of the electric motors. The solution allows separate, storable programs for each individual electric motor. This solution has the disadvantage that it cannot be detected whether an individual motor has carried out the positioning action precisely and completely. If one electric motor fails, then the door cannot be opened or closed.
It is an object of the invention to improve the closing and opening operation of an electrically actuated passenger door and to make the operation more convenient and safer. The invention further aims to avoid or overcome the disadvantages of the prior art, and to achieve additional advantages, as apparent from the present specification.
The above objects have been achieved according to the invention in a door system of an aircraft especially including an arrangement for controlling the closing and opening operation of the aircraft door, with a particular control system. According to the invention, the door system includes a door movably arranged relative to a door opening of the aircraft fuselage, a latching mechanism adapted to selectively latch and unlatch the door, a locking mechanism adapted to selectively lock and unlock the latched state of the door, electromechanical actuators (e.g. electric motors, linear actuators, solenoids, etc. as well as mechanical transmission elements and linkages) adapted to move the door and to actuate the latching mechanism and the locking mechanism, manual actuators (e.g. manually operable levers, cranks, knobs, handles or the like, as well as mechanical transmission elements and linkages) adapted to move the door and to actuate the latching mechanism and the locking mechanism, an actuator control unit connected to the electromechanical actuators to transmit control signals thereto, a door control unit connected for signal and data exchange with the actuator control unit, plural sensors connected for signal transmission to the door control unit, an operating console connected for signal and data exchange with the door control unit, a power supply source connected to supply power to the actuator control unit, and first and second power switches connected in series between the power supply source and the actuator control unit.
The sensors are arranged and adapted to sense the status of various components or subsystems of the door system, and to provide data regarding the sensed status to the door control unit. The power switches selectively control the supply of power to the actuator control unit, and thereby to the actuators. If either one of the power switches is opened, then the supply of power to the actuators will be cut off. Preferably according to the invention, the various components or subsystems of the door system, and the functional steps of an operating sequence for closing or opening the door, can be selectively operated either electromechanically (using the electromechanical actuators) or manually (using the manual actuators).
The above objects have further been achieved according to the invention in a method of controlling a closing and opening operation of a door system, generally as described above. The method generally involves steps of moving the door from an open position to a closed position, latching the door, and locking the door in a closing operation, as well as unlocking the door, unlatching the door, and then moving the door from the closed position into an open position in an opening operation. Especially according to the invention, the door control unit controls the performance of each one of the above steps for opening or closing the door, and selectively enables any selected one or more of those steps to be carried out either electromechanically or manually, i.e. by means of the electromechanical actuators or by means of the manual actuators.
More particularly, the electromechanical actuators are controlled essentially by at least one control unit. It is also possible to provide or form a plurality of control units for the actuators. These one or more control units for the actuators are controlled by a door control unit. For reasons of simplification only one actuator control unit for the actuators will be referred to frequently hereinafter, although alternatively a plurality of them can exist. In addition to controlling the actuator control unit or units, the door control unit has further control functions. The door control unit can optionally switch all or individual function steps between a mechanical control of the door and an electromechanical control of the door as mentioned above. A further control function serves to control testing of the security of the door. In addition, the door control unit can be controlled by manual command input by means of the operating console or consoles arranged on the door.
The invention succeeds in combining the proven high operating safety of a conventional, modern aircraft door with the operating convenience of a completely electromechanical door. An important advantage of this combination is that while the door is essentially actuatable electrically, in the case of malfunction or if desired by the operator, it can be operated essentially mechanically, or partly mechanically and partly electrically for different function steps.
According to one embodiment, the door control unit has a stored process program for controlling the function steps of an opening and closing operation.
The testing of the security of the door controlled by the door control unit includes at least a test of the xe2x80x9cflightxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cparkxe2x80x9d status of the aircraft, a test of the xe2x80x9carmedxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cdisarmedxe2x80x9d status of the emergency opening system, and a test of the xe2x80x9cflight lockedxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cflight unlockedxe2x80x9d status of a hand lever. Such a door security testing procedure can, of course, also include a test of the xe2x80x9cretractedxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cextendedxe2x80x9d status of the boarding stairway.
According to a further embodiment, the door control unit can control the opening and closing means of a locking mechanism of the door depending on the respective position of an operating hand lever.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the power status of the actuator control units can be monitored and controlled. Such monitoring takes place dependent on the status of the emergency opening system and the status of the aircraft. Signals corresponding to these two status indications are supplied to at least two switching means for switching the power supply to the actuators. If the emergency opening system in the xe2x80x9carmedxe2x80x9d state or the onboard system of the aircraft in the xe2x80x9cflightxe2x80x9d state supplies a signal to a switching means in the power line of the actuator control units, then the switching means is opened. When the switching means is opened, the actuator control units are without current. This prevents manipulation of the door control during flight.
According to another embodiment, the door control unit can be controlled by means of command inputs via an operating console. The operating console additionally has a display, so that different states of the door can be displayed on the display by means of an input command. This concerns a display of the open position of the door, of the closed position of the door with a locked latching mechanism, of the xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9coffxe2x80x9d status of the power supply, of the flight locked or flight unlocked state of the exterior hand lever, and of a fault in the control system.
According to a further embodiment, the process program has a switch-over program. The switch-over program enables the door control unit to switch from electromechanical control of the function steps to manual control of the function steps or vice versa. Such a switching can be initiated, for example, by a command input via an operating console with respect to the swith-over program. The switch-over program cooperates with the process program in order to achieve the switching at desired function steps. The switch-over program is advantageously a subprogram of the process program. In this way a switching by means of the switch-over program could also be achieved by a programming change in the process program.
In the context of the apparatus or arrangement according to the invention, at least one actuator control unit is connected for signal and data exchange to a door control unit. The door control unit is connected to sensors and is connected to operating consoles by means of a signal and data link. In addition, the door control unit is connected to a power supply source, and the power supply lines of the actuators and/or actuator control units are switchable by switching means arranged in series with respect to each other. Sensors are used for detecting the final positions of the swivelling movement of the door, for detecting the final positions when raising or lowering the door, for detecting the locking or release of the latching mechanism of the door, for detecting the locking or unlocking of the flight locking mechanism for the exterior hand lever, for detecting the locking or unlocking of the superior locking or securing mechanism for the interior door lever, for detecting the arming or disarming of the emergency opening system, and for detecting the xe2x80x9cretractedxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cextendedxe2x80x9d status of a boarding stairway.
A control means located in the power line for the actuators or for actuator control units is controllable from an operating console or a control system in the onboard system of the aircraft. Another switching means is controllable by signals from the sensor of an emergency opening system.
Further in the arrangement according to the invention, the door control unit has a process program stored therein for controlling the function steps of a closing and opening operation. The process program contains a switch-over program which can be called up to enable a switch between manual and electromechanical control or vice versa.